Alicia I love this movie so much

Teringer An Exercise In Nonsense

Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

omahonyjason Despite featuring some wonderful interviews and archival footage, I Am Your Father is ruined by the film-maker's senseless insistence on inserting himself into the film.The film has a fascinating story at its heart - that of David Prowse, who played Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy and remained remarkably unrecognizable despite playing one of the most iconic characters in all movie history.Yet the central story - that of David's all too human journey and disappointment - is elbowed out of the way so the film-maker can indulge in some wish fulfillment.While I understand the temptation for the film-maker to become his story, particularly given Star Wars' place in the Pantheon, the Michael Moore approach weakened the film and turned what should have been a richly poignant piece into just another ho-hum documentary. Pity.

Zipper69 Another reviewer incorrectly attributes the dubbed voice of Vader to that fine actor, Edward James Olmos. It was, in fact James Earl Jones who voiced the part. This documentary, although well intentioned was clearly hamstrung by being unable to use any clips from the first two Star Wars movies. It seems obvious that when Lucasfilm realized they were being painted as the villain they refused to grant permission. As a result, shadowy images of the main characters appear, hardly a replacement for the real thing. Prowse parlayed his body building skills into "big men" parts, mostly in low budget British horror movies and the part of Vader was a major one but hid his features behind a mask for the entire screenplay. In effect, fame without recognition. The young director felt that Prowse was robbed of a chance to BE Vader and be recognized, so he gathered a team to recreate the "death scene" where Vader, unmasked and dying utters those oft quoted words "Luke, I am your father". Once again, almost certainly due to copyright restrictions we are denied the chance to actually see the finished product, which rather defeats the whole object of the exercise.

braininajar1 This documentary is a nice enough retrospective on the history and legacy of veteran British Hammer Horror film actor David Prowse, the actor who filled the dark shape of Darth Vader in the original trilogy of Star Wars films. However, the documentary teases throughout a particularly fanboy mind-blowing scene in which the director of the documentary allows Prowse to reprise the penultimate scene in Return of the Jedi in which Darth Vader, who lay dying, removes his mask and reveals his face to his son Luke for the first time. In the original film, Sebastian Shaw played the face of the man behind the mask, much to the chagrin of Prowse. The director of this documentary teases that he has reshot this scene with Prowse restored to the role of the dying Vader, and very nearly shows part of it, but cuts away before fans are treated to what they have dreamed of seeing since 1983. Given that Disney allows fan films to be made in the Star Wars universe, and that Lucasfilm has had a long history of doing so, showing this to the world would cost the director nothing. Granted, Lucasfilm did not give permission, but Lucasfilm doesn't give tacit permission to anyone who asked to do something specific with the Star Wars universe if there is a profit involved. For a not-for-profit cause, such as just showing the clip to all of us fanboys really want to see the scene, it would cost them nothing. All it does is tease your interest all the way through the credits, hoping you will see it in this documentary. Spoiler warning: you don't.

joker-scar The previous 2 reviews covered pretty much what I thought as well so I won't rehash any of that stuff. At the end of the credits it states "HE (Prowse) IS STILL WAITING FOR AN INVITATION TO ATTEND AN OFFICIAL STAR WARS CONVENTION"...well this is bogus because he was at the 30th anniversary 2007 Celebration 4 event in LA., the best STAR WARS con one can attend and thoroughly backed by Lucasfilm. It was not some unsanctioned convention set up at an empty Target store. I got his autograph two separate times (at that event) and both times he was miserable and left a bad impression on me. Perhaps it was this attitude that has kept him from any further official Star Wars events. That is only a speculation based on my own experience with the man. If it is true that Prowse was ostracized because of a 'false' rumour (years ago) that he leaked story plot lines, then he should be forgiven, obviously. But there is also proof that Prowse also likes to talk (back then) and did put forth a 'speculation' that Vader should be revealed as Luke's father (in 1977), which in fact we all know did unfold in the sequel in 1980. A total guess on his part but it does cross a line as a performer working within the series and Lucas did take umbrage with that faux pas on Prowse's part. Prowse' sour grapes at not being given the chance to be the actor under the mask when Luke pulls it off at the end of "Return", is just that, sour grapes. Far better actors have been replaced from a film during production, (Harvey Keitel from APOCALYPSE NOW, Eric Stoltz from BACK TO THE FUTURE, etc.) , it is not due to their lack of talent but that they do not fit that particular role as well as another performer. And lets face it, if Mr. Prowse was a stellar actor he would have been given better parts that do not require a big physique. He didn't join a theatre company and go on the road doing Shakespeare in his youth, he like many others we all know, but instead got into body building which became a ticket into film and TV work. He by-passed the usual tried and true route taken by 99% of the working actors in the world. Sebastian Shaw, who actually did the scene that Prowse covets, was an actor on stage since a child. Prowse's other gripe that his voice was replaced in the original trilogy is also based on the lack of dramatic punch his voice had at the time. Even the editors of Star Wars were shocked by the ill- suited voice coming out of Vader's mask on the dailies. If he wanted to be taken seriously as an actor then he should have spent less time in a gym and more time taking acting and voice lessons. Harsh but true.